Transport (part two)

[wireyal]

I am writing this from a able bodied perspective. Having pushed my wife around (in a wheel chair, she bosses me most of the time). I have to find someone else to push. to continue my story.

After having a really good time at the conference, (some of the doctor's speeches were above me), but I came away encouraged and fighting fit.

We set off back about 12:30pm and the staff at Stanstead were good seeing us on the train and settled down.

The train set off and the guard came round to check tickets. That's when things went wrong. I had the two tickets in my wallet. I took them out and showed them to the guard putting my wallet back, so I thought, in my pocket. I clutched the tickets in my hand all the way to Peterborough. a small voice was saying "Why don't you put your tickets away which I was going to do after having ordered teas from the kiosk. I went for my wallet and it was not there. The train had departed as well for Brum with my wallet on it. I contacted the person who assisted us of the train and he gave me a sheet with contact numbers for all the different train companies. It was Sunday so the lost property office was closed. I could not do anything else, at least we could continue to travel with the tickets we had.

The York train was really crowded and we were pushed up the ramp and abandoned among all the people fighting for seats with luggage all over the place including the wheelchair spot which we had reserved. After a lot of shouting my friend was kind of installed in the reserved seat with his name on the ticket and I squeezed into a very small seat next to this lady. the guard came to check tickets again and help sort my friend out and make him a bit more comfortable.

My friend very kindly lent me some money to allow me to travel back to Ripon.

All over the weekend I could not help noticing the small things that are no obstacle to most people but could cause great difficulty with wheel chairs, such as, small ledges across doors, inaccessible buttons, steep ramps etc.

My experience with the wallet showed me that although at the time it seemed bad. it was not as bad as it could have been and this morning my wallet was found at Birmingham. This set me thinking about either the "glass" being half full or half empty.As the song says "Always look on the bright Side Of Life, dee dum dee dum.........!

Has anybody else got travel experiences?

[wobblybee]

I had visited my daughter and she'd driven me to Kings Cross for the return journey.

We were late, I missed the train and faced the prospect of having to buy another

ticket. All this was due to a trip we'd taken the day before. We went to Paris for the

day for her birthday and were exhausted, this was long before I was diagnosed but

was struggling with everyday things. We almost missed the train back from Paris as

well! I digress, anyway at Kings Cross, a ticket inspector saw me leaning against a

wall, propped up with my stick, and kindly authorised my return ticket for the next

train. Ataxia and tiredness caught up with me during the journey, I fell asleep and

almost missed the stop for Newcastle. I don't know whether there was another

stop before Scotland!

[wireyal in reply to wobblybee]

I think travel of any sort is tiring, I had to stop my car in a lay by coming back from Llandudno, because I was going all over the road. Ann,my wife, and I had been with a group of people with epilepsy all week and it had been hectic.. With regards to your tickets there are kind people who cut red tape for you.

[wireyal in reply to wobblybee]

Ann gets tired easy too. We could never go more than 100 miles at one time.

[wobblybee]

I felt really tired after Stansted, I dozed in the car (5-6hrs back to Newcastle) and

fell asleep watching Downton, waking when my daughter screamed 'she's dead'!

[wobblybee]

On 2 separate occasions my husband mislaid his wallet and got it back intact!

Years ago holidaying in France, he missed his pocket and the wallet fell under

the seat outside a cafe. Eventually we had to retrace our steps, and it was

still there! Another time he left it on a table at services on the A1, a waitress

handed it in, lucky again!!

[wireyal]

I discovered that my wallet has a habit of falling out of my pocket since i got it back.Twice in the car. Must find a safer home for it.